1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a storage media that are used, upon starting up a computer, to generate registry data of computer setting in a RAM and install the generated registry data in an operating system that refers to the registry data. In particular, in a system that requires a power shut down, the present invention relates to a setup data rewriting apparatus, a setup data rewriting system and a storage media that stores a setup data rewriting program in which registry data can be accurately and readily changed.
2. Discussion
Conventionally, an operating system that is installed in a mobile computer or a card computer, such as Windows CE (Registered Trademark), generates registry data for setting up a computer in a RAM upon start-up, and refers to the generated registry data when device drivers are installed or the system is operated.
However, since the conventional operating system described above generates registry data in the RAM upon start-up, the computer is always set up based on the initial data that is previously installed in the operating system, when the computer is powered on. Therefore, in order to set up the computer to a user fs desired setting, the user is required to change the registry data to his desired setting after the startup. Alternatively, when a program that is required to execute the operating system is generated, registry data for the desired setting needs to be installed.
However, when the registry data is modified after the startup, a relatively long time is required for such a modification work because the registry data is enormous. Also, unlike Windows 95 or 98 (Registered Trademark), the above described operation system reads a single execution file of several megabytes (MB) into a RAM at a predetermined address, and directly executes the program from the address. Therefore, even the registry data is changed after startup, it is difficult to write the changed registry data in the execution file. Accordingly, in order to maintain the user fs desired computer setting, the computer needs to be continuously operated without shutting down the power after the registry data is changed. Alternatively, the registry data needs to be changed at each startup. The former cannot be applied to a system that requires a power shut down, and the latter not only requires a substantial amount of work and time, but also may result in erroneous setting of the registry data.
Also, when a program that is required to execute the operating system is generated, a substantial amount of time is required to generate the program when the registry data for the desired setting is installed. In particular, when systems that install an operating system are provided to many users, a program needs to be generated for each individual user. It requires a substantial amount of time for the works to generate the programs.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the unsolved problems of the prior technique. It is an object of the present invention to provide a setup data rewriting apparatus, a setup data rewriting system and a storage media that stores a setup data rewriting program that can correctly and readily change the setup data for a system that requires a power shut down.
To achieve the object described above, a setup data rewriting apparatus, in accordance with the present invention, includes a first storage device, and generates setup data in the first storage device and applies the generated setup data to a system that refers to the setup data when the system is operated. The setup data rewriting apparatus reads rewriting data for rewriting the setup data in the first storage device before the system refers to the setup data, and rewrites the setup data in the first storage device by using the rewriting data in the first storage device.
With the structure described above, the rewriting data is read in the first storage device before the system refers to the setup data, and the setup data in the first storage device is rewritten by using the rewriting data in the first storage device. Then, upon operating the system, the system refers to the setup data that has been rewritten.
In the invention, the rewriting data is read or the setup data is rewritten before the system refers to the setup data. It is noted that, for example, reading the rewriting data and rewriting the setup data can be performed after the system generates the setup data. However, in view of ready installation of the rewriting data in the operating system, they may preferably be performed before the system generates the setup data.
Also, the invention is not limited to a system that generates registry data upon startup, and refers to the generated registry data for its operation, but is also applicable to any systems that generate setup data upon startup, and refer to the generated setup data for their operation.
Furthermore, the setup data rewriting apparatus, in accordance with the invention further comprises a non-volatile second storage device that stores the rewriting data. Before the system refers to the setup data, the setup data rewriting apparatus reads the rewriting data from the second storage device, stores the rewriting data in a region in the first storage device that is different from a region where the system is to generate the setup data, and rewrites the setup data in the first storage device by using the rewriting data in the first storage device.
With the structure described above, before the system refers to the setup data, the rewriting data is read from the second storage device and stored in a storage region in the first storage device that is different from a region where the system is to generate the setup data, and the setup data in the first storage device is rewritten by using the rewriting data in the first storage device.
It is noted that the second storage device stores rewriting data by any means and at any time. Therefore, the second storage device may store the rewriting data in advance, or may store the rewriting data when the apparatus is in operation. It is noted that the first storage device may be a non-volatile type or a volatile type.
Furthermore, in the setup data rewriting apparatus in accordance with the invention, the rewriting data includes the setup data. The setup data rewriting apparatus further includes a reading device that reads the rewriting data from the second storage, and stores the rewriting data in a memory region in the first storage device that is different from a region where the system is to generate the setup data, and a rewriting device that rewrites the setup data in the first storage device to the setup data included in the rewriting data by using the rewriting data in the first storage device, wherein reading by the reading device and rewriting by the rewriting device are performed before the system generates setup data.
With the structure described above, before the system refers to the setup data, the reading device reads the rewriting data from the second storage, and stores the rewriting data in a memory region in the first storage device that is different from a region where the system is to generate the setup data, and the rewriting device rewrites the setup data in the first storage device to the setup data included in the rewriting data by using the rewriting data in the first storage device.
Also, the setup data rewriting apparatus, in accordance with the present invention, includes a first storage device, and generates setup data for setting up a computer in the first storage device and applies the generated setup data to an operating system that refers to the setup data when the operating system is operated. The setup data rewriting apparatus includes a non-volatile second storage device that stores rewriting data for rewriting the setup data, the rewriting data including the setup data, a reading device that reads the rewriting data from the second storage, and stores the rewriting data in a region in a memory region of the first storage device that is different from a region where the operating system is to generate the setup data, and a rewriting device that rewrites the setup data in the first storage device to the setup data included in the rewriting data by using the rewriting data in the first storage device. The reading device performs reading before the operating system generates setup data and the rewriting device performs rewriting before the operating system generates setup data.
With the structure described above, before the operating system generates setup data, the reading device reads the rewriting data from the second storage, and stores the rewriting data in a region in a memory region of the first storage device that is different from a region where the operating system is to generate the setup data, and the rewriting device rewrites the setup data in the first storage device to the setup data included in the rewriting data by using the rewriting data in the first storage device. When the operating system operates, the operating system refers to the rewritten setup data.
Also, in order to achieve the object, a system in accordance with the present invention includes the setup data rewriting apparatus and the operating system, wherein the operating system refers for its operation to the setup data that is rewritten by the setup data rewriting apparatus.
With the structure described above, the setup data rewriting apparatus changes the setup data in the first storage device to the setup data included in the rewriting data by using the rewriting data in the first storage device, and the operating system refers to the rewritten setup data.
Also, in order to achieve the object, a computer readable storage device, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a first storage device and a non-volatile second storage device that stores rewriting data for rewriting setup data, in which the rewriting data including the setup data. The computer readable storage device stores a program for generating the setup data for setting up a computer in the first storage device and applying the generated setup data to an operating system that refers to the setup data when the operating system is operated. The computer readable storage device stores a setup data rewriting program that makes a computer to execute step of reading the rewriting data from the second storage device and storing the rewriting data in a region in a memory region of the first storage device that is different from a region where the operating system is to generate the setup data before the operating system generates setup data, and step of rewriting the setup data in the first storage device to the setup data included in the rewriting data by using the rewriting data in the first storage device before the operating system refers to setup data.
With the structure described above, when the data stored in the storage device is read by the computer, and the computer is operated based on the data read out, the same effects provided by the setup data rewriting apparatus can be obtained.